Santa's Chimney Pendant

This pattern reminded me of a chimney.  I thought it was unique and appropriate for a pendant for the Holiday Collection. Abstract, teardrop pendant with a triple loop bail and lead-free solder framing.  The border is smooth and slightly raised.  Can we talk about this adorable chain for a moment?  If you use your Christmas imagination you can see little gingerbread men as the links!  Santa's favorite cookie!  The chain is 20" with a 2 1/2" extension chain and lobster claw clasp.

The process of creating a piece of jewelry from vintage or antique dishware starts with a plate, cup, saucer, bowl, etc.  Each unique piece made allows me to give a new life to a beautiful piece of history.  Once I have isolated the section or sections to be used,  I start with a wet saw to cut it down to size.  Sometimes the placement of the design is on a curved edge, directly over the ‘collar’ of the dishware, or on an exceptionally thick or thin section.  This may be visible on the back side of the piece and/or may create a slight curvature or irregularity of the item.  I find that those variations lend to the authenticity of the art.  It will not affect the way the piece displays when worn or hung. The next step is using glass cutting tools to form the rough shape.  From there I use a wet grinder (used with stained glass art) to smooth the edges and finalize the shape.  Copper foil is applied to the edges and burnished smooth.  Lead-free soft solder (I use a brand called Silver Gleem®, which contains 3% silver and polishes to a beautiful shine) is applied using a soldering iron set to 658-730 Degrees Fahrenheit depending on the affect being created. The first application forms the base of the frame for the piece. Once framed, then the decorative dots, texture stamping, wires, charms or patina can be added. The bail is added which is generally hand formed and sized individually for each piece before being soldered onto the frame of the piece.   After that, it is determining how it will hang. Chain, length of chain, beads, gemstones, pearls, etc. Finally the piece is hand polished to a high shine!  Enjoy!